Flowers for Dior
By
July 6, 2010
On Monday, John Galliano’s collection for Christian Dior inspired some coinage among his audience at Paris’s Musée Rodin: “horti-couture.” In what now looks like a real comeback for the full-skirted, wasp-waisted 1950s at Dior, Galliano went to town with hothouse flora, focusing on upside-down, wide-open blooms inspired by the floral still lifes of his friend, photographer Nick Knight, and the cooler botanical hand of the legendary Irving Penn. Precious, kitschy, and elegant, Galliano’s topped off the look by wrapping the picture perfect heads of his models in florist’s plastic wrap. Evita Peron and Imelda Marcos would be thrilled. And, for his walk of fame, Galliano modeled a straw hat and some high collar 20s tailoring from his Buster Keaton/Charlie Chaplin Spring 2011 men’s collection. One couldn’t help but think of a shy boy arriving at the door for a first date, bouquet in hand–the only thing missing was a box of chocolates.
